All posts by John Hughes

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 9, 2018

The Buddhas of my replicas
As innumerable
As there are sands in the River Ganges
Also came here
From their wonderful worlds,
Parting from their disciples,
And giving up the offerings made to them
By gods, men and dragons,
In order to hear the Dharma,
See Many-Treasures Tathāgata,
Who passed away [a long time ago],
And have the Dharma preserved forever.

The Buddha sings these verses in Chapter Eleven of the Lotus Sūtra. The Buddhas of his replicas inhabit countless other worlds in the universe, and enjoy the status and benefit of being enlightened in those worlds. Despite the honor they receive in those worlds, they happily come to hear the Buddha teach the Wonderful Dharma. As our pleasures seem small compared to those of a Buddha, so a Buddha’s pleasures seem small compared to the Wonderful Dharma.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Profound

A Comparison of Chih-i’s Five Sections with the Human Body

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This is the third analogy for the Five Sections, indicating the completeness of the Five Sections in elaborating the teaching of the Buddha as a whole. The human body (Jen-shen) is analogous with the section “Name”, for the name indicates the general characteristics of the teaching of the Buddha. The other four sections indicate the specific characteristics of the teaching of the Buddha. Chih-i says that “Substance” is analogous with consciousness (Shih); “Gist” is analogous with life (Ming), “Function” is analogous with heat (Nuan), and “Characteristics of the Teaching” is analogous with the mind that distinguishes (Fen-pieh).

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

The Highest Blessing

Quote

The second example of practical guidance occurs in the Sutra of Good Fortune, which explains the maximum happinesses to which men can attain and suggests practical ways they can be achieved. This sutra is recited daily by the faithful in lands where Southern (Theravada) Buddhism prevails.

Once when Shakyamuni was in the Jetavana Monastery, a deity of surpassing beauty approached him and said, “Many gods and men have longed for various blessings and have sought the highest blessing. World-honored One, tell me what the highest blessing is.” And Shakyamuni answered with the following precepts:

  1. Not to associate with fools but to associate with wise men and to revere people who are worthy of reverence. This is the highest blessing.
  2. To live in a suitable place, to have accumulated merits and virtues in previous lives, and to have correct wishes. This is the highest blessing.
  3. To be learned and skillful, to be trained and to have studied much, and to speak words of good teachings. This is the highest blessing.
  4. To care for parents, to provide well for wife and children, and to have a way of making a living that is pure and correct. This is the highest blessing.
  5. To give alms, to perform correct actions, to care lovingly for and to protect relatives, and to do nothing that is blameworthy. This is the highest blessing.
  6. To take no pleasure in wickedness and to refrain from evil acts, to control one’s own consumption of intoxicants, and to be selfless in all things. This is the highest blessing.
  7. To respect others, to be humble, to know what is sufficient, to be grateful for what others do, and from time to time to hear the Law taught. This is the highest blessing.
  8. To be forbearing, to speak gently, to meet with people of religion and occasionally to discuss the Law and teachings. This is the highest blessing.
  9. To make efforts, to be trained in the Buddha’s way, to comprehend the Noble Truths, and to find enlightenment in nirvana. This is the highest blessing.
  10. To remain unshaken by contact with the things of the secular world, to be free of anxiety, to be undefiled, and to be tranquil. This is the highest blessing.

Those who do these things are undefeated in all things, prosperous in all things, and theirs is the highest blessing. (Page 194-195)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

Blog, LS32, LS32 Text

Three Lotus Sūtra Years

This is the 36th iteration of my 32-day monthly cycle of reading the Lotus Sūtra. See explanation here.

To mark this three-year anniversary, I will be publishing the full text of each day’s portion of the Sūtra. When I’ve finished the 32 days, I will incorporate the text with the existing 32-day content in order to provide an opportunity for others to practice reading 1/32nd of the Sūtra each day. All you need is 15 minutes or so a day to read aloud. As promised in the Sūtra, the benefits have been immeasurable.

My long-term plan is to create an annotated version of the Sūtra that incorporates the Daily Dharma and other quotes related to specific portions of the Sūtra. Perhaps on my second three-year anniversary.

Day 1


History of Japanese Religion

Living the Life of the Universal Self

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The fundamental maxim of Tendai ethics is “to put on the robes of the Tathāgata, to occupy the seat of the Tathāgata, and to enter the abode of the Tathāgata,” in short, to live the life of the universal self.

History of Japanese Religion

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 8, 2018

A man of shallow faith pretends to have right faith and is contemptuous towards other followers, so as to harm the faith of others. Leave such people alone. By the intention of the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra and other deities, I believe that such a time will certainly come when all the people of Japan will simultaneously believe in the Lotus Sutra. I am sure that many people will then say, “I have believed in this sutra all along.”

Nichiren wrote this passage in a Reply to Lord Ueno (Ueno-dono Gohenji). In Nichiren’s life, he tolerated the contempt of many who refused his call to set aside expedient teachings and take up the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra. Despite repeated attempts to reach these people, and after enduring his home being burned down, attacks with swords, a mock execution and numerous exiles, he retired to a hermitage on Mt. Minobu to spend the last days of his life. As the Buddha showed no contempt towards his cousin Devadatta, Nichiren showed no contempt towards his persecutors. When we find others who despise us for our practice, we have the example of these two men. They both took the long view towards enlightenment, and did not let themselves be wounded by the follies of human nature.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Profound

Chih-i’s Five Types of Polarity

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These five types of polarity are Chih-i’s summarization of various aspects of the teaching of the Buddha.

  1. The polar concept “phenomenon and noumenon” can summarize the doctrinal aspect of Buddhism, for the doctrines expounded by the Buddha center on phenomenon as the Worldly Truth and noumenon as the Absolute Truth.
  2. The polar concept, “teaching and practice”, can summarize the major components that constitute Buddhism, for Buddhism is about the teaching of the Buddha and one’s practice of attaining liberation according to the teaching.
  3. The polar concept, “cause and effect”, can summarize the nature of Buddhism}for Buddhism concerns nothing else but the practice for attaining enlightenment as the cause and the attainment of enlightenment as the effect.
  4. The polar concept, “self-cultivation and transforming others”, can summarize the functional aspect of Buddhism, for self-cultivation is the knowledge of penetrating the truth, and transforming others is the knowledge of benefiting others.
  5. The polar concept, “speech and silence”, can summarize the methods of the Buddha’s teaching, for both speech and silence are for t!le purpose of teaching and transforming others.

Since these five types of polarity reveal different aspects of Buddhism, together, they represent Buddhism as a whole, and therefore, are related more or less to each of the Five Sections. (Vol. 2, Page 27)

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism


beginning

The Chronology of the Buddha’s Life

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[A footnote accompanying the story of Subhadda, an old ascetic who became the last person converted by Shakyamuni himself says:] This account contains a verse that is the oldest reference to chronology in Shakyamuni’s life: “At twenty-nine, I gave up the secular life in search of what is good, Subhadda, and fifty-one years have passed since then.” Seven years passed from the time that he left his father’s house until his enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, and he was active as a Buddha for forty-five years. (page 187)

The Beginnings of Buddhism

LS32

Day 32

Day 32 covers Chapter 28, The Encouragement of Universal-Sage Bodhisattva, closing the Eighth Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

Having last month heard Universal-Sage Bodhisattva’s promise to help those who study and practice this sūtra, we hear his promise to protect those who keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.

“World-Honored One! It is by my supernatural powers, know this, that a Bodhisattva can hear these dhārāṇis. Anyone who keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [while it is] propagated in the Jambudvipa, should think, ‘I can keep [this sūtra] only by the supernatural powers of Universal­Sage.’ Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this sūtra, memorizes it correctly, understands the meanings of it, and acts according to it, know this, does the same practices that I do. He should be considered to have already planted deeply the roots of good under innumerable Buddhas [in his previous existence]. He will be caressed on the head by the hands of the Tathāgatas. Anyone who copies this sūtra will be reborn in the Heaven of the Trāyastriṃs̒a Gods immediately after his present life. On that occasion, eighty-four thousand goddesses will come and receive him, making many kinds of music. A crown of the seven treasures will be put on his head, and he will enjoy himself among the ladies in waiting. Needless to say, [more merits will be given to] the person who [not only copies this sūtra but also] keeps, reads and recites it, memorizes it correctly, understands the meanings of it, and acts according to it. Anyone who keeps, reads and recites this sūtra, and understands the meanings of it, will be given helping hands by one thousand Buddhas immediately after his present life. He will be fearless. He will not fall into any evil region. He will be reborn in the Tusiita Heaven. There he will go to Maitreya Bodhisattva who, adorned with the thirty-two marks, will be surrounded by great Bodhisattvas, and attended on by hundreds of thousands of billions of goddesses. He will be given the benefits of these merits. Therefore, anyone who has wisdom should copy this sūtra with all his heart, cause others to copy it, and also keep, read and recite it, memorize it correctly, and act according to it.

“World-Honored One! I will protect this sūtra with my supernatural powers so that it may be propagated and not be destroyed in the Jambudvipa after your extinction.”

The Daily Dharma from April 7, 2018, offers this:

World-Honored One! It is by my supernatural powers, know this, that a Bodhisattva can hear these dhāraṇīs. Anyone who keeps the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma [while it is] propagated in the Jambudvīpa, should think, ‘I can keep [this sūtra] only by the supernatural powers of Universal-Sage.’

Universal-Sage Bodhisattva (Fugen, Samantabhadra) makes this declaration to the Buddha in Chapter Twenty-Eight of the Lotus Sūtra. The supernatural powers of this Bodhisattva are beyond the perception of our human senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell and thought. When we hear thunder, we know something causes it whether or not we understand that cause. In the same way, when we are practicing this Wonderful Dharma, we know it is because of the great help we receive from innumerable beings, even if we do not understand the powers they use to reach us.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com

Daily Dharma

Daily Dharma – Oct. 7, 2018

Rivers come together to form an ocean. Particles of dust accumulate to become Mt. Sumeru. When I, Nichiren, began having faith in the Lotus Sutra, it was like a drop of water or a particle of dust in Japan. However, when the sutra is chanted and transmitted to two, three, ten, a million and a billion people, it will grow to be a Mt. Sumeru of perfect enlightenment or the great ocean of Nirvāṇa. There is no way other than this to reach Buddhahood.

Nichiren wrote this passage in his essay on Selecting the Right Time (Senji-shō). In our quest for enlightenment, we may become discouraged by the enormity of our task. When we sweep away one delusion, another appears. When we benefit one being, the needs of millions more become clear. Nichiren reminds us persevering though these difficulties and strengthening our faith in the Buddha’s wisdom are more important than any outcome we seek.

The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com